Cuomo garners unlikely praise

Governor spared criticism leveled at other Democrats at Conservative Party gathering

By JIMMY VIELKIND Capitol bureau

Published 12:00 am, Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Photo: Skip Dickstein

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Former Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey praised Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plans to reduce state spending at the Conservative Party's annual political action conference on Monday at the Holiday Inn in Colonie. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union) less

Former Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey praised Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plans to reduce state spending at the Conservative Party's annual political action conference on Monday at the Holiday Inn in Colonie. (Skip Dickstein ... more

Photo: Skip Dickstein

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Mike Long speaks at the Conservative Party's political action conference at the Holiday Inn in Colonie. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Mike Long speaks at the Conservative Party's political action conference at the Holiday Inn in Colonie. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Photo: Skip Dickstein

Cuomo garners unlikely praise

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COLONIE -- Mark Steyn, a conservative author, commentator and fill-in talk radio host for Rush Limbaugh, spoke for 33 minutes Monday to a sold-out luncheon at the Conservative Party's annual political action conference.

He blasted New York state's high taxes, singling out ex-Gov. David Paterson for enacting a surcharge on higher-income earners. He joked that a state agency sent him a letter claiming he owed $14,000: "It seemed to me a bit like these Nigerian e-mail scams," he said. Steyn refused to settle. "I said on principle I'd rather go to jail and be gang-raped by whatever band of convicted Albany legislators are there."

But amid his critique of the right's usual suspects -- progressives, the Obama administration -- he never uttered Andrew Cuomo's name. Indeed, during the annual two-day conference, nary a harsh word was spoken about the current governor.

In fact, some speakers and attendees cited the governor's platform of balancing the state budget without new taxes and a bill introduced late last week to cap local property tax increases and offered grudging support.

"He looks like a Cuomo but he sounds more like a (Hugh) Carey," said Betsy McCaughey, a former lieutenant governor under Gov. George Pataki. She lauded Cuomo for calling for reduced spending, but said he could do more. Most of her remarks to the assembled group of partisans and Republican elected officials dealt with "Obamacare," which she believes should be annulled as unconstitutional.

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"I hope he doesn't go all wobbly in the knees because I've been saying nice things about him -- and it pains me," said Ray Meier, a Republican attorney and former state senator from Oneida County.

The Conservative Party has even taken the all-but-unthinkable step of actively supporting Cuomo's agenda. State Chairman Mike Long said the party paid for 100,000 "robo-calls" last week, and has begun a postcard drive "encouraging him to stay the course."

"We campaigned against him, and on top of that I didn't vote for him," Long said. But "if a governor by the name of Cuomo ends up putting New York back on the right track, so be it."

Long said he called Cuomo about a month after he won the election and offered his congratulations and support if Cuomo followed through on his platform; Cuomo was gracious. Long backed two challengers to Cuomo -- first Rick Lazio and then, after he defeated Lazio in a GOP primary, Carl Paladino.

Paladino roared with laughter during Steyn's speech. He refused to talk to the Times Union but earlier at the Capitol said of Cuomo's agenda, "There's been a lot of talk, so let's see how it goes."

But the man who managed his campaign, Michael Caputo, is convinced. He sent an e-mail personally encouraging thousands of Paladino's acolytes to back Cuomo's agenda.

"Like you, I oppose the Democrat Party's progressive agenda. Like you, I fought like hell to stop Andrew Cuomo's campaign for governor of New York state. I don't much like him; I'm still angry about his dirty campaign against Carl," Caputo wrote, adding "I must admit the Governor's early fiscal moves are conservative, responsible and absolutely necessary."

Cuomo visited the Conservative gathering two years ago to talk up his plan for government consolidation. Lazio was last year's guest of honor, and took the opportunity to blast Cuomo.